Accreditation Requirements For Running A Pharmacy Technician Program

Pharmacy technicians are like assistants to pharmacist in various sectors. That is why it is important that they receive training that will aid them in their day-to-day activities. 

To achieve this, there ought to be qualified lecturer in a conducive learning environment lecturing according to a good curriculum.

School of health accreditation

Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (P.C.N), the body responsible for the regulation of pharmacy activity in Nigeria gave some guidelines for schools who wish to run the program in their institutions. Without meeting those conditions, such schools will not be accredited and their students will not be recognized as graduates 'pharmacy technicians.'

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The conditions are there to help build the career to meet the growing need of pharmacy technicians around the world.

There are currently government and private own health institutions that have been accredited. The most common schools are school of health technology scattered around the country.

The list of conditions here are just selected conditions for accrediting school that wants to run the program of pharmacy technician. The accreditation requirements cut across curriculum, staff, and infrastructure.

The reasons for this stringent exercise for every new applicants and periodic upgrade and review is to:

1. To train suitable qualified persons in the basic knowledge of handling simple medicines for use at grass root level under the supervision of a registered pharmacist

2. To train suitable persons to the level of rendering assistance to register pharmacist.

For school who wish to apply, there is a prescribe fee that must be paid for the accreditation team to visit. To be sure, of accreditation, the following should be put in place.

Requirements For Accrediting Pharmacy Technician School

Conducive environment

1. A dispensing laboratory well equip with adequate chemicals (reagents), weighing balance, facilities for heating, portable water, power supply etc. (the list is up to 50 items in it).
2. A full fledged department of pharmacy technician training
3. Set of computers with appropriate software

Each of the of the recommended halls or office have various description for approval. Take for example the class room must have a particular space size while the offices of lecturers must be big enough for basic items to fit in. Lecture halls have space limits from both walls and to the ceiling.

Admission quota

According to them, the maximum number of students per year is 15. I doubt if any school keeps to that law.

Curriculum

The curriculum falls under the following heading

1. Introduction to basic human biology
2. Action and uses of common medicines
3. Elementary dispensing
4. Principles of pharmacy technician practice
5. Introduction to components of primary health care
6. Six months industrial training

These are in addition to science subjects include mathematics and English

Pass Mark For Courses

i. Elementary dispensing practical must be above        50 %
ii. Other subjects are                                                 40 %

Lecturers

a. At least a three full time pharmacist must be on ground to teach actions and uses of drugs, elementary dispensing (theory and practical), and principal of pharmacy technician practice.
b. Head of department must be a fully registered pharmacist

The program is designed to run for three years. 18 months is spent on classroom with lectures while the next 6 months is strictly for industrial training. The last phase of the curriculum is a year in the laboratory

Read Also: What Pharmacy Technicians Need To Know After Graduation In Nigeria

External examiners selected by PCN monitor technicians’ examinations. The school must keep the examiner informed of when examination will hold. The school must allow the examiner to have access to information concerning the examinations including marking scheme, script etc. while PCN pays for the examiners transport fees, the school takes care of his feeding and accommodation.

It is the duty of the external examiner to take first-hand information back to PCN before accreditation team will even think of going. If what the examiner say is good, they will consider visiting the school themselves to verify the examiners claim.

Now students can know if their school meets the criteria for accreditation or not

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